To be mightily pissed off that my eczema has returned with a vengeance at age 30?

[WanderingNotLost]

I had it very badly as a baby and again at age 22, and in the last few months it has moved in for round three. I few small patches on my inner forearms, dry skin on my face, a few patches around my underarms. But my bum and legs look simply diseased! I've tried aveeno for dry skin and epaderm, I'm using aveeno shower gel. But I still have huge, red patches with scabs, particularly on my shins. It looks utterly horrible and I'm so conscious of it, particularly in this warm weather when I want to wear dresses without the requisite thick black tights. In also itches like crazy. My hobby is rock climbing which I do a few times a week so I have to shower frequently. Has anyone found a solution to adult eczema that doesn't involve spending hours smothering cream all over myself every night? I'm getting desperate!

[WanderingNotLost]

Nobody?! Ok...

[TwinkleCrinkle]

Do you take an antihistamine like zirtek?
Mine has recently flared up as well on my back which I've never had before! Anyway i used some of my sons prescription steroid cream and it has helped quite a bit.
Once I have it under control I can generally control the itch with the antihistamine. The heat does make it very challenging.

[Baconyum]

Also vitamin d.

BTW that's nothing I'm dealing with sodding acne EVERYWHERE at the age of bloody 43 - and eczema!

[AppleMagic]

If it's got to the scabby stage you need to head to the dr for the strong stuff. The emollients you're using won't touch a flare up on their own.

[WanderingNotLost]

I take an antihistamine or two, sometimes three every day as I get terrible hay fever. I wore shorts over the weekend (which also gave me chub rub hell, another item on my list of bodily gripes) as I thought getting some sun on my skin might help. But I simply don't have the time or the patience to fuck about with lotion all over my lower body (not a small surface area) and waiting for it to soak in before I can go to bed. I'm at my wits end! Does anyone know of a tablet (aside from an antihistamine) or something that might help? Will try Vit D.
Whinge whinge.

[CancelTheCheque]

I use coconut oil for body, vichy skincare products for face. That keeps me from getting too many flareups but they're only mild, yours sounds way more intense Have you changed any bath/shower products lately? I find they're usually responsible when my skin does freak out. I had some nasty flareups after using cheap store brand washing capsules too.

[WanderingNotLost]

I started using aveeno when it flared up again, prior to that I'd always used dove and had no problems. I started a new job six weeks ago and I'm wondering if the air con could be doing it? But that wouldn't make it this bad surely, and it's not like I've never worked in an air-conditioned office before. Laundry detergent etc all unchanged.

[Caterina99]

Lifelong eczema sufferer here. There is no magic cure. You might be "lucky" in that it's a reaction to something specific and once you remove that thing then your skin goes back to normal. For me, prevention is best and yes I smother myself in cream every night. I'm used to it now, and I learnt the hard way that not doing it is not worth it.

Everyone's skin is different though, I'd advise looking into some steroid creams to clear it up initially and then see how bad it is. If it's just come back suddenly then it probably is a reaction to something. Hope you can work out what it is. Plus your body can change and you can suddenly develop a sensitivity to a washing powder for example.

[TwinkleCrinkle]

Have you been allergy tested? Not sure if this can be done on the NHS but I would imagine if your eczema is as severe as it sounds they should do. Maybe see your GP and push to see a derm.
I am allergic to lots of things including one or two food items. Most things I can't eliminate contact with but can try and control exposure.

[LettingAgentNightmare]

This could be me, apart from I'm 31 :(

The last few nights I've been itching myself to buggery which hasn't happened in more than a decade.

I thought my scratchy days were all over.

[WhirlwindHugs]

Also back here I'm 29! I'm starting to think it's because the winter's been so long and it dries my skin out + clothes rubbing (it's worst on my face and shins)

I'm using aveeno to keep the itch at bay and have cut out dairy since that seems to be the most common underlying allergy thing that comes up.

[RaeFesnick]

Fellow eczema sufferer here. Mine comes and goes every few years but when it comes it's always on my face and arms and always very bad.

After 40+ years of this I have to say that these days I go straight for the steroid creams. They are the only things that get rid of the flare up and I haven't done that lightly, that's after years of trying to avoid steroids and finding that nothing else really works.

[Wolfiefan]

The right emollient can work wonders but you do need to slather it on very regularly.

[Binkybix]

Keep a food diary, although most isn't due to allergy apparently. My DH has it extremely badly and is on immunosuppressants, but I'm not sure that yours sounds as bad as that. Sympathies - it's horrible.

[CancelTheCheque]

I started a new job six weeks ago and I'm wondering if the air con could be doing it?

Any chance there is mould/dust/irritants around?

[GeorgeTheThird]

Have you tried hydrocortisone yet?

[AnotherCiderPlease]

Have you tried cutting out cow's milk?

I've been reading up on it and it is one of the most common causes of intolerance.

We've recently cut it right down in our family (haven't avoided it in foods etc), by replacing it with almond 'milk' and these are the results:

Me: sinuses clearing up and mild constipation gone
DS1 : severe constipation cleared up, night time bedwetting has stopped, including not needing to take desmopressin
DS2: sinuses cleared up, itchy spots on legs are reducing, nights are drier.

The total benefits were a huge surprise tbh!

[unlucky83]

Have you checked all the toiletries and cleaning products you use for Methylisothiazolinone?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylisothiazolinone
Even if you have changed products they may have changed the formulation (eg Nivea face cream did this) -they aren't allowed to put it in anything that stays on your skin -like creams - any more but it is in shampoo, washing up liquid etc.
I react to it in shampoo - get a burning face and apparently you become more sensitive with exposure.

[unlucky83]

if you haven't changed products ...not have ...

[scarednoob]

my brother was told that these things tend to go in cycles. he had it as a small child, then it ruined his 20's, his 30's were clear, and it came back at 40... it's no fun at all, so sympathy.

he was told to cut out alcohol when it is bad, and to try and get rid of as many things that affect it as possible, so in his case, dust and pet hairs. a Chinese herbalist said that the skin is the third lung, and so things that affect breathing can also adversely affect the skin. it might well be bollocks (I am cynical about that sort of treatment myself), but it worked for him.

my dad also had it very badly, although has now grown out of it, and like a PP, he simply went straight for the synalar. drove my mother mad, as it turned all the bedding yellow (and the budgie's face where it had been tickling itself on him!), so maybe get some cheap t-shirts.